What happened
On September 26, 2025, at approximately 1040 mountain daylight time, a SIAI-MARCHETTI SF260B, registration N272C, was involved in an accident near Billings, Montana. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR part 91.
According to the pilot, the aircraft began drifting to the left shortly after rotation from runway 28R. Although the pilot utilized corrective control inputs to maintain control while in ground effect, the aircraft failed to achieve a climb. The aircraft subsequently drifted to the right of the runway and began to settle, resulting in a ground impact. The impact caused the landing gear to collapse and resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and the aft cabin structure.
There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger.